


Help To Make The Season Bright

by RedScribbler



Category: Free!
Genre: Established Relationship, M/M, MHFest 2016, Tumblr: makoharufestival
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-04
Updated: 2016-12-17
Packaged: 2018-09-06 08:21:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,268
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8742208
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RedScribbler/pseuds/RedScribbler
Summary: Haruka hated winter.
   It was, of course, the worst season for swimming. The sea was frigid, the school pool was drained and his access to indoor bodies of water was restricted by time, money, and other people's amiability. ~~A collection of one-shots written for Makoharu Festival 2016!Based on various themes, with a chapter per theme selected from the festival.





	1. Days That Are Merry and Bright (Day 2)

**Author's Note:**

> so everytime I try to do a ship/fandom week I inevitably let it fall to the wayside bc I'm awful.
> 
> but not this time! the power of Makoharu will carry me through!
> 
> I won't be able to run the full gauntlet of 25 days but I've select a good few of the prompts that I've gotten decent ideas for.
> 
> Please enjoy and thank you to all the organisers for putting this together!

Haruka pulled on his winter coat, his padded gloves and his woolen hat; they all still smelt strongly of the storage closet he had pulled them out of three nights ago and were stiff from lack of use. 

He sat on the front step and put on his running shoes, hoping the sole would be thick enough to keep the cold and damp out. Wearing heavy boots was the last consession to the season that he refused to make.

Haruka hated winter.

It was, of course, the worst season for swimming. The sea was frigid, the school pool was drained and his access to indoor bodies of water was restricted by time, money, and other people's amiability.

To add insult to injury, the first blizzard of the season had hit Iwatobi overnight, blanketing the town in a sheet of pure white snow. 

The thought of all that water trapped in tiny patches of ice and snow only served to solidify his distaste for the weather.

_Not free._

It also brought with it extra chores to be done about the house. Without any form of central heating, Haruka would spend the next few days hauling down space heaters and spare blankets from the nooks and crannies where he had hidden them last year, forgetting where half of them had been put.

Today, he had decided to tackle the outside jobs first. The path to his front door was covered over with frost and snow, making it slick and dangerous to walk on. The steps leading up to it were even worse, especially for the older people in the neighbourhood. He recalled vividly how his grandmother had complained about how she felt like she was going break a hip every time she had climbed them.

With a broom and shovel swung over his shoulder, he made his way outside, bracing himself against the sting of cold that greeted him as soon as he did.

The path in front of him glistened with white, the glare of weak sunshine hitting off it made his eyes hurt. 

_Here we go._

Just as he was contemplating where to start, an ear-piercing screech tore through the air and he jumped, dropping the shovel. Before he could even begin to worry however, the sound was followed by a series of high-pitched giggles and stamping feet. Haruka peered around the low fence and down the wide stairs, clutching the broom to his chest.

Ren and Ran Tachibana were jumping from step to step throwing snowballs at each other and screaming in delight. They were dressed up in puffy coats that went to their knees and thick scarves wound about their necks. Knitted mittens struggled to find grips on wads of scooped up snow.

Haruka's first instinct was to tell them not to play to the slicked steps but years worth of experience told him to hold back and keep on the look-out. 

There was another very important reason Haruka disliked winter. 

That reason came crashing out of the Tachibana's front garden with two enormous snowballs raised high in each fist.

Makoto hurled them at his little brother and sister with a savage grin on his face and they cried out in faux distress.

“Eeekkk!”

“Big brother, no fair!”

Haruka cringed against the fence and prayed not to be noticed.

His distaste and dislike of winter was matched only by Makoto's enthusiasm for it. From the heavy clothes to hot drinks to snowball fights, his best friend had been in love with the season as long as he could remember. 

Which meant that Haruka had been subjected to cold noses, wet feet and sliding head-first into snowbanks for most of his life. Makoto's usual senses of quiet responsibility and natural concern were thrown out the window as soon as he saw freshly-fallen snow, and his underhanded competitive side rose to the fore. Haruka had been on the receiving end of far too many snowballs and ice-skating challenges to willing walk into any situation which had Makoto so excited.

Running around the stairs with a grin taking up most of his face and his cheeks flushed with exertion he looked as young as his siblings, and Haruka knew that his attitude could be just as childish when he got so worked up. 

As if to prove what he already knew, Haruka watched as the twins teamed up to pelt Makoto with snow from both sides and he began to whine.

“Hey! Now how is two against one fair!”

“You're bigger than us!” Ran told him.

“Yeah!”

“How's that my fault?”  
Just as Haruka was wondering if he could sneak back into his house unnoticed, Ren slipped on one of the steps and tripped down a couple, landing on his bum with a bump.

Both Ran and Makoto froze but before either of them could blink, Haruka's legs moved all on their own and he was standing in the middle of the stairs above them. Ren was just getting back on his feet when he called out to them.

“Hey, be more careful!”

Any distress on Ren's face was immediately replaced with delight.

“Haru-chan!”

Ran whirled on her heel and squealed with joy.

“Haru-chan! Hi!”

Makoto's grin got even bigger when he saw him, touching the corners of his warm eyes.

“Haru, good afternoon,” He greeted him.

Haruka wasn't having any of it.

“They shouldn't be playing on the stairs,” He said scowling, “It's not safe.”

Makoto bit his lip, shamefaced, but the twins bounded forward still smiling.

“I'm fine, I'm fine!” Ren insisted.

“Haru-chan, come play with us!” Ran pleaded, clutching his hand.

“Yeah,” Makoto recovered in an instant, walking up to them, “Help me corral them into the garden. It's safer, right?”

The full force of three infamous Tachibana puppy-eyed looks was almost too much to resist and Haruka only fought them because he had a legitimate excuse to.

“I have to clean up the snow,” He said, holding up the broom to demonstrate his commitment to sweeping. 

As the twins began to whine and pull out of him, Makoto put a hand on each of their heads and leaned forward to look him in the eye.

“You are going to do the whole staircase, aren't you? That's an awfully big job to do by yourself,” His breath came out in puffs of white as he spoke, “I can help if you want.... after you have lunch with us?”

“Yeah, have lunch!”

“Yeah, Big Brother can definitely help!”

As much as Makoto had framed it as a question, they both knew Haruka would already give in. The three of them were just too much when they were a united force.

Time to change that.

Haruka broke eye contact with Makoto and looked down at the twins. 

“On one condition.”

The twins leaned forward, holding their breath.

“Don't throw anything at me, and we can all bring down Makoto together.”

The twins cheered even as their big brother reeled back in shock.

“What? No, no! Three against one is definitely unfair!” He yelped.

Haruka shrugged as he put the broom back against his front door.

“You're bigger than us.”

“Haru!!”

The twins cackled in conjunction and chased Makoto into their front garden while he screamed. Haruka scooped up two handfuls of snow and followed.

They spent the next few minutes running around the front of the Tachibana house, trying to pummel Makoto into submission. He had a few tricks up his own sleeve. His hands could carry more snow than anyone else and he took advantage of the fact that Haruka had a poor throwing arm to attack him from a distance. In the end however, sheer numbers won out and the four of them ended up in a pile; both of the twins sitting on Makoto's chest and trying to tickle him through his coat while Haruka held his arms down.

“I give in! Uncle! Uncle! You win!” Makoto cried breathlessly. 

“Not really that kind of game,” Haruka said blankly as he shoved snow into his collar.

His resulting shriek made the twins laugh so hard they fell off of him and all the noise caught the attention of someone in the house.

The front door clicked open accompanied by the sound of a gentle voice.

“Oh honestly, what have you two done to your poor brother?”

Makoto's mother stood in the doorway with her hands on her hips, a ladle in one hand and an unimpressed look on her face.

“Big Brother started it!” Ran said springing to her feet.

“He did!” Ren nodded fervently and tried to brush the snow off of his gloves.

“Hey...” Makoto whined weakly from the ground but didn't deny it.

“I don't care who- Oh, Haru-kun!” She interuptted herself when she saw him, “Did they drag you into this too?”

“...it's fine,” Haruka mumbled, embarrassed to be caught acting so silly.

“Well, you all look half-frozen, so I've made soup for lunch. Ren, Ran, come set the table,” She smiled beatifically, “You're staying, aren't you Haru-kun?”

“...if it's okay,” He muttered into his scarf.

“I'm helping him sweep the steps after we eat,” Makoto said much louder.

“Good idea, they can get awfully slippy... Well, come inside and get something warm in you before you do!”

She ushered the twins into the house with a sweep of her arm, leaving the two older boys lying in the snow.

Haruka sat with his hands still resting on the sides of Makoto's collar and waited for his breath to come back.

He watched as the white streams of their breath mingled together when they drifted upwards.

“Thank you,” Makoto said eventually.

“Hmm?”

“They love playing with you. I know you had other stuff to do today, thank you for indulging them,” He blushed, “And me...”

Haruka watched the red spread outward across his cheeks.

“You're such a kid when it comes to stuff like this,” Haruka told him, moving his hands over and back across the front of his shoulders.

Makoto sat up, even redder than before and laughed weakly.

“I know... sorry.”

Haruka took one of his hands and rubbed it between both of his, working the cold out. 

“Don't be...” He squeezed his hand, “It's more fun than cleaning anyway.”

Makoto's smile reached his ears and he squeezed back.

“Have you got everything ready for winter yet?” He asked.

Haruka tilted his head at the question that seemed to come out of nowhere.

“No, why?”

Makoto looked away but kept a tight grip on his hand.

“Well, Mum will probably ask and you know she doesn't like you staying by yourself when it gets so cold...”

“You think she'll ask me to stay over?”

Makoto raised his free hand to brush some of the snow off of Haruka's coat.

“If you want to.”

Haruka considered it. Sleeping on Makoto's floor, the inevitable dogpile when Ren and Ran wanted to sleep between the two of them, hot chocolate in the morning -too rich for breakfast-, napping under blankets while daytime television blared in the background, settling for basking in candlelight in lieu of a real fire. He thought about his own house's bare floors, musty duvets and unused heaters.  
He considered the beautiful red blush that complimented the green of Makoto's eyes.

“If someone asks,” He agreed.

Makoto stood up still smiling and pulled Haruka to his feet.

“Let's go, then,” He chirped, leading him into the warmth and noise of the Tachibana home.

He was sat down at the kitchen table and Makoto's mother presented him with a bowl of steaming chicken stew. The twins chattered to Makoto's father who greeted him quietly and he felt something warm settling in his stomach before he ever took a sip of his meal. 

Winter was cold, unforgiving, in Haruka's opinion. Surrounded by the glow and love of a thriving home, he felt the strength he knew he would get to make it through another one. 

Makoto gave his hand one last press under the table before letting go and smiled at him with the smile he had just for him.

Haruka returned it with a small one of his won and nearly laughed out loud at how Makoto's face lit up even further when he saw it. The love his silly boy had for him would definitely carry him through the season. 

Winter by itself Haruka could not tolerate. With what he had been given that afternoon, however, he could begin to appreciate what it brought out in the people he cared about. 

Outside, the snow began to fall again.


	2. Since We've No Place To Go (Day 4)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Are you sure you shouldn't be at home, Haru?”
> 
> “I said I was fine.”
> 
> “But you look so cold...”
> 
> Haruka turned his head as minimally as he could in order to glare over his shoulder. Every movement wasted energy he could be putting into keeping warm. 
> 
> ~~
> 
> Day 4: Staying Warm

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one got a little self-indulgent haha. 
> 
> It's based in the same universe as my merman AU fic, Meet Your Storm, but you don't need to read that to get this. For context, Makoto is an actual-size orca merman and lives in a cave on Iwatobi's coastline. He and Haruka have been together since the end of Summer.

“Are you sure you shouldn't be at home, Haru?”

“I said I was fine.”

“But you look so cold...”

Haruka turned his head as minimally as he could in order to glare over his shoulder. Every movement wasted energy he could be putting into keeping warm. 

The look was lost on Makoto who just kept frowning at him from the mouth of the cave. Or maybe he just couldn't see his face properly under all the layers he wore. 

Haruka had known that it wouldn't be easy to travel down to the coast when the winter months rolled in but he didn't think anyone could have predicted the cold snap that had taken over the town.

Howling winds and invisible patches of slick ice made the already arduous trek to Makoto's cave outright dangerous. A sharp, frigid breeze had plucked at his jacket and made his eyes stream as had clambered over the huge boulder pile that hid the small cove from the rest of the world and he had nearly been blown onto the hard-packed sand more than once. As it was, he had sustained a full range of bruises on his shins and forearms just to stay in one place. 

By the time he got to the cave where Makoto was keeping an eye out for him, Haruka was in no mood to be hen-pecked.

“I'm. Fine.”

He ignored how Makoto's frown got bigger and made his way to the sandy slope that lead to the covered plateau at the back of the cave. Inside was barely any warmer than outside but at the very least, it was dry. 

He immediately sat down when he got to the top and tried to rub some kind of sensation back into his limbs. The legs of his trousers had gotten wet as he had waded to the cave and it felt like they had frozen solid. In the summer, he had simply shucked off anything that had been soaked and left it to dry. When he could see his breath in front of his face and frost clinging to the walls, that didn't seem like such a good idea.

The cold seeped into everything. His arms were stiff and his head felt like a lead weight wrapped in cotton. The lack of blood circulation made the tips of his fingers sting and he couldn't stop sniffling as his nose ran.

Worst of all, Makoto had shimmied up to the plateau beside him and wouldn't stop staring at him like he was a kitten he was sheltering from the rain. Haruka whipped off his hat and pulled down the front of his scarf just so he could see him glare properly, daring him to say something.

Makoto simply raised his eyebrows and kept quiet, opting to settle down, resting his chin on his folded arms. 

Haruka began rubbing his hands together ferociously and brought his knees to his chest. 

Makoto considered him in silence for a moment before speaking from where he lay.

“Do humans migrate?”  
“Hmm?” Haruka looked up from his hands.

“Do you migrate? You don't seem very used to this.”

Haruka scowled and crossed his arms, burying his hands in his armpits.

“Birds,” He snapped.

“What?”

“You're thinking of birds, birds migrate.”

“Just curious...” Makoto said, shrinking in on himself.

Haruka sighed, letting his breath stream white above his head. 

It wasn't Makoto's fault was in a sour mood, they both knew that. The cold bothered him like nothing else, but it was his problem to deal with. Makoto's curiousity shouldn't have to suffer for it. There was still so much he didn't know or understand about human society. It didn't help that his teacher barely understood himself most of the time.

“No,” Haruka spoke, softer this time, “Humans stay in the same place all year round, mostly.”

Makoto rolled his shoulders back.

“Is it just clothes that you use to keep warm then?”

He shook his head.

“In our houses, we have electric machines -remember I told you about machines? They produce heat and keep our buildings warm.”

“Could you bring one here?”

Another shake of the head.

“There isn't anywhere here to take electricity from to use it.”

Makoto's frown came back. 

“If I got wood, you could make a fire?” He sat up slightly and turned to look toward the cave mouth, “I could probably find some before it gets dark...”

“Don't bother,” Haruka told him, “The smoke isn't worth it.”

Makoto lay his head back down, biting his lip.

“What about you?” Haruka asked, more to divert attention from himself than anything else, “Does your pod migrate?”

Makoto lifted one hand and held it horizontally, waving it back and forth, a gesture he had picked up from Haruka.   
“It depends?” His voice lilted high with the question, “Sometimes parents with really young calves will bring them to warmer waters or if someone is really old, the cold mightn't be the best thing for them. But really, we're built for this kind of weather, y'know? So most people just put on their winter weight and leave it at that.”

Makoto rolled onto his side and patted his plump belly for emphasis. At the end of Autumn, Haruka had noticed that he was eating a lot more than usual, and his 'usual' was big enough as it was. When asked, Makoto had told him he was stockpiling for the colder season and over the last couple of months, Haruka had watched his stomach grow. 

As with most things Makoto did, the extra weight was surprisingly cute on him. 

Haruka nodded to show he had been listening and they lapsed back into silence. 

The steady drip on water trickling from somewhere off of the cave walls filled the quiet and Haruka watched lazily as huge plumes of white bloomed out of Makoto's mouth with every breath he took. His eyes began to drift shut and with every blink it became harder to open them again. He pinched himself hard in the side and sat up straight, shaking his head from side to side to try and wake up. Falling asleep in the cold was one of the worst things he could do, even he knew that.

Haruka had been determined to visit Makoto every day, come rain or shine. He was the only person he could talk to as long as he lived here. Haruka had a plethora of people, from school, from his neighborhood, all who were ready and willing to share a conversation with him regardless of whether he wanted them to or not, and here was sweet, gregarious Makoto stuck with only him for company. Haruka's eyes landed on the huge, powerful tail Makoto used to sail through the seas and wondered if things would be easier if they were in each other's places. 

With the weather this bad however, he wasn't sure how much longer he could last. He was begin to lose the feeling in his feet and it was only the middle of November. January and February were sure to be worse and the sea would turn ever more wild and glacial when they came. Getting to the cave would be even more dangerous than before but leaving Makoto by himself wasn't even an option. Haruka was the one who had asked to be together. Makoto had stayed here for him. It was his job to make this work. 

He looked up to Makoto's face. His brows were also furrowed in deep thought. 

“I'm sorry,” He said eventually.

“...why?”

“You're freezing,” Haruka opened his mouth to protest, “Don't deny it! The only reason you are out here is me, and you're suffering because of it... I'm sorry.”

“'Suffering',” Haruka scoffed, “Don't be dramatic. I'm just a little cold. It's fine.”

“It's no-!” Makoto heaved a great, big sigh, “I just wish you could be comfortable. I don't want to be unhappy when you're here.”

“ 'm not unhappy,” Haruka looked away from him, “With you, amn't I?”

That startled a laugh out of Makoto. He always seemed so surprised when Haruka expressed any kind of affection towards him. 

He reached forward slowly and pressed a palm twice the size of Haruka's head to the side of his face, curling his fingers slightly around him.

“I guess you are...”

Haruka leaned his head into his soft skin and sighed contently. The warmth of Makoto's hand was like an open fire compared to how he felt and his fingers kept the breeze away from his head. He settled in further, wishing he could stay like that for the rest of the afternoon.

Haruka jerked upright suddenly, accidentally knocking Makoto's fingers away from him. The merman retracted his hand quickly.

“Haru?”

“We're idiots.”

“Haru?!”

“We could have been doing this the whole time.”

“Doing what?”

Haruka stood up, his stiff legs creaking, and marched over to where Makoto was lying on his side. He knelt down in front of his chest and pressed his face up against it. Makoto yelped at the cold sensation. He rubbed his head back and forth to settle in and threw his arms around Makoto's neck as best he could. He barely reached around the front. 

His chest was even warmer than his hand and Haruka felt his extremities begin to prick with pain as the blood flowed back into them. He nuzzled even deeper into the warmth.

“H-Haru?”

He looked up. Makoto's face was so red, heat practically radiated off of it. One of his hands hovered over Haruka's back, unsure.

“This is okay, isn't it?” Haruka murmured into his chest, “To warm me up?” He gave him what he hoped was a doe-eyed look.

It must have worked because Makoto's face instantly split into an overjoyed grin.

“Of course!”

Both his hands folded over him, pressing him against Makoto's collarbone and he hummed in delight. He couldn't even hear the wind now.

Haruka moved his forehead back and forth on the patch of skin where he had settled, a merman's version of a kiss. 

Makoto responded in kind, dipping his head down to press his lips to the crown of Haruka's head as he had been taught.

“It's not like it's the first time, right?” Makoto whispered to him.

Haruka felt his own blush creep up on his face as he remembered the first night they had spent together. Not even as a couple, Makoto had sheltered him from a summer storm and kept him safe and dry, right in the very same spot where they lay now. 

Ever since they met, Makoto had been taking care of him. Haruka was overwhelmed, not for the first time, at the thought of this huge, beautiful creature caring for him. At the thought that he was allowed to return the favour in any paltry way he could. Haruka snuggled even harder into his side.

“Makoto.”

“Haru.”

“...thanks.”

He felt Makoto's smile grow on top of his scalp.

As he held him, Haruka felt his eyes grow heavy again and he stifled a yawn against his arm.

“Don't fall asleep on me now,” Makoto joked and squeezed him slightly.

“No promises.”

A chuckle from above.

“I'll keep an eye on you.”

Haruka let himself smile and pressed a hand to his chest.

“You always do.”

He let the rhythm of his heartbeat beneath his fingers lull him to sleep.


	3. Bound To Be Talk Tomorrow (Day 10)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> On a cold winter's night, there is eager kissing and reluctantly telling but they'll muddle through. 
> 
> ~
> 
> Day 10: Jealousy.

As with most of the problems in Makoto's love-life, the whole mess started with Nagisa.

He had come to Tokyo for the holiday season to visit Rei after he had survived his first year in college and they were wiling away the evening relaxing in Makoto and Haruka's apartment. It was the first time Nagisa had visited since they moved in together and he had made himself very comfortable, nestled into Rei's side and wrapped in a borrowed blanket.

He had spent most of dinner whining about how much he missed the three of them and how Iwatobi wasn't the same without them. He mourned for their swimming team and showed them photos of how well their juniors were doing. Makoto had tried to reassure him that they would try to call and text as often as they could and, when that fell through, Haruka reminded him that they were all together now, that they would always a team.

The thought dragged Nagisa out of his funk and right around to the other side where he was aggressively trying to make as much use of their time together as possible. 

Which was why Makoto was currently psyching himself up to spin an empty Coke bottle on the flat surface of the low table.

“C'mon, Mako-chan! While we're young!” Nagisa crowed from his blanket nest.

“I never should have talked you out of truth or dare...” He murmured, spinning the bottle with a flick of his wrist.

The four of them watched with bated breath as the bottle stopped slowly, pointed squarely at Rei.

“Ehh?”

“Oh my-!”

“Oooh, Rei-chan!”

Haruka snorted lightly, his way of laughing, and nudged Makoto in the side.

Nagisa perked upright and slammed his hands on the table.

“Don't just sit there, kiss, kiss!” His wide-eyes suddenly narrowed, “But not on the lips. Those are mine.”

“Excuse you!” Rei sputtered, “I believe I own my lips, thank you very much.”

“Keep telling yourself that, Rei-chan.”

“Now, now,” Makoto waved his hands as if trying to brush the words away, “Let's just, um, get this done.”

He leaned over the table and placed his hand on Rei's chin. Rei turned his head slightly so he could place a kiss on his cheek. Whether it was the warm atmosphere, the good company, or Nagisa's comments, he wasn't sure but Makoto felt a sudden playfulness steal over him. 

He looked Nagisa straight in the eye, tilted Rei's chin and gave him a quick peck on the lips.

“Mako-chan! You hustler!” Nagisa clamped onto Rei's arm, glowering

He sat back in place laughing. At his side, Haruka snorted louder and turned away to hide his smile.

Even Rei, who had turned bright pink, was grinning.

“Well, that's what you get for suggesting this game in the first place.”

He threw his arm around him and squeezed.

Nagisa still glared at Makoto from where he lay. 

“It's Haru-chan's turn to spin. And if he lands on me, he's getting the wettest, sloppiest kiss of his life! Just you see!”

“I doubt it,” Haruka said as he twisted the bottle, “When we first started dating Makoto was all lips, awful.”

“H-H-HARU!”

Makoto felt heat flood his face as Nagisa fell onto the floor laughing, Rei chuckling alongside him. Haruka meet his eye and even though his face was expressionless, Makoto could see the amusement making his eyes seem bright.

The bottle came to a stop in front of Makoto and the amusement grew.

Nagisa only laughed harder.

 _That's what I get for trying to tease..._ , Makoto thought hopelessly.

As Haruka turned to face him, Makoto leaned back a bit.

“Don't pout.” 

Haruka let a brief smile show as he leaned in. 

All his embarrassment left him as their lips met. Haruka was warm and welcoming. He kissed him once, twice, opening his mouth on the second go, letting his tongue glide against his. Makoto let the world slip away and lost himself in the feeling.

A pointedly cleared throat brought them back to reality. 

As they separated, Makoto could see that Rei and turned pink again and Nagisa, no longer laughing, was smirking smugly.

“Better than the first one, Haru-chan?”

Haruka sat back and nodded. 

“Much better.”

Makoto felt his cheeks burn even hotter.

“When did you guys first kiss?” Nagisa asked suddenly, smugness morphing into genuine curiosity.

“Why do you ask?”

He shrugged.

“Just wanna know. You guys only started dating in Tokyo, and I missed out on all this when it was new.”

“Didn't miss much,” Haruka mirrored his shrug, “We told each other how we felt, we went on same as always. With more kissing.”

“Haaaaaru-chan,” Nagisa slumped further against Rei, “C'mon, gimme the gossip! What was the first kiss like?”

“It was when I confessed,” Haruka said, leaning back on his hands, “We moved too fast and knocked our teeth together, remember?”

“That's right!” Makoto laughed, “I was so nervous, and that just made it worse!”

“It was great because it was Makoto, but objectively? Terrible. I had never kissed anyone before so it was expected I guess.”

“You were each other's first kiss? That's sooooo romantic!”

“Very sweet,” Rei agreed.

“Ahaha, well, actually-” Makoto bit his lip. The word had slipped out of his mouth without thinking.

The table fell silent.

“Actually?” Nagisa prompted.

Makoto let his gaze drop to the table and said nothing.

“Mako-chan, what? Actually, what?”

The grain pattern in the wood was suddenly the most interesting thing he had ever seen.

“...Makoto?” Haruka leaned forward to catch his eye and Makoto fought with everything he had not to look. As soon as his gaze met Haruka's, he would lose.

His will died a swift death as he looked into deep, beautiful blue. Haruka looked confused more than anything and it killed Makoto to think the expression might soon be replaced with hurt. 

Keeping quiet would hurt more however, he had learned that particular lesson the hard way.

It didn't stop him feeling heavy guilt as he spoke however.

“Actually... Haru wasn't... my first kiss...”

“WHAT?”

“Mako-chan! What about romance! You _are_ a hustler!”

“Oh.” 

Haruka sat back and broke eye contact with him. Makoto could see the disbelief working their way through him and felt nauseous.

“P-P-Please, let me explain!” He turned to Haruka, “It was a very long time ago! It didn't mean anything, I swear!”

Haruka still kept his head down, in shock.

“Haru..?”

He placed a hand on his knee, tentatively. Haruka jumped a little but his wide-eyed look of surprise quickly turned into a narrowed glare.

“Who?” He demanded.

Makoto pulled his hand back quickly. 

“I-I don't know if he's out, I shouldn't say...” 

His gaze flickered between Haruka and the other side of the table. Rei and Nagisa were huddled together, their shoulders drawn up tight. 

“When, then?”

“Middle school...”

Haruka kept staring.

“We were... It was the end of second year,” He blabbered, hoping more details might appease him, “We both knew we liked boys and we wanted to see what kissing was like. It was curiosity, nothing else! We didn't even date, I swear.”

Haruka finally looked away.

“Fine.”

“...Haru, I'm sorr-”

“I said it's fine.”

Makoto flinched at his tone and rung his hands together.

It's not as if he was keeping it a secret. He just didn't think anyone needed to know. It was so long ago, he had almost forgotten about it.

A pregnant silence reigned over the table for far too long.

Haruka stood up abruptly and the other three all leaned back. 

“The film,” He said.

Nobody moved.

“We were going to watch a film after, weren't we?” He addressed Nagisa and Rei, “Pick one, I'll make tea.”

He turned on his heel and disappeared into the kitchen.

Makoto let out the breath he had been holding and slumped down on the table, dragging his hands through his hair.

“God...”

“Mako-chan... Mako-chan, I'm sorry...”

He looked up and saw Nagisa with his hands pressed to his mouth, on the verge on tears.

“I was only teasing, I didn't meant to-! I'm so sorry!”

Makoto took one of his hands and squeezed.

“Don't, please. It's not your fault...” He sighed again, “I probably should have told him before now anyway...”

Nagisa swallowed back his tears harshly.

“This is ridiculous,” Rei said suddenly.

Makoto looked over too him and was surprised to see how cross he looked.

“You were young, you weren't even with Haruka-senpai back then! He has no reason to act like this!”

Makoto smiled weakly and heaved himself into a standing position.

“Thanks, maybe I still ought to have said something,” He rolled his shoulders back, “I'll talk to him. It'll be fine.”

He ruffled Nagisa's hair.

“Maybe pick a comedy though,” He asked as he make his way into the kitchen.

That, at least, made Nagisa laugh.

~~

Haruka looked just as boiled as the whistling kettle.

Makoto stood beside the door-frame and watched him, gauging how much distance he needed.

Haruka avoided his eye and wrapped his arms tightly around his torso. A hand had its nails pressed tightly into a forearm. One bare foot bounced up and down against the linoleum.

After a minute of observation, a combination of instinct and a lifetime of experience had given Makoto an accurate read on the situation.

The anger was clear, but so was the fact that it wasn't aimed at him. It bounced back, reflected inside and Makoto felt even guiltier for causing it.

It did, however, give him the guts to move closer.

He slid up by his side, their shoulders about an inch apart.

When Haruka didn't shuffle away from him, he took it as a good sign.

“Please don't be mad, Haru.”

“Not mad at you.”

“I know... Who are you mad at?”

Haruka's frown grew bigger, both at the question and because he knew Makoto already knew the answer to it.

He turned away to the cupboard to take out cups.

Makoto went to take the teabags out of the other press, thinking about ways to work through this. He dropped the box when Haruka spoke up, expecting the slient treatment to last.

“I was selfish. In middle school.”

“What?”

“I got. Wrapped up in my own...” A shuddering sigh, “But you were lost too, confused, working through... things.”

Makoto covered the length of the kitchen in a stride and threw his arms around his shoulders.

“Haru, Haru, no, don't do that,” He pleaded, “You had so much to worry about back then, I wouldn't expect you to be looking after me too.”

Haruka clamped his hands onto Makoto's arms.

“You did. You looked after me. Always. Even when I didn't want you to.” 

“Haha, you couldn't get rid of me, hmm?”

“I was never...” Haruka's head was so low, his chin brushed his collarbone, “There for you...”

Makoto's heart screamed to deny it. Before they had started started dating, he probably would have done so automatically. Knowing the love of his life felt the same way about him however, had given him a slightly higher opinion of his own worth.

All he did was squeeze him tighter.

“It was a hard time for everyone, wasn't it?”

Haruka turned in his arms and wrapped his own firmly around his waist. 

They swayed, merely holding each other for a few long, quiet moments.

Haruka's grip tightened convulsively before he spoke.

“I-I won't ask... but, did I know him?”

Makoto leaned his head on the top of Haruka's and wondered how much information would be giving the answer away. He figured Haruka would probably guess eventually anyway.

“He was in your class.”

One last moment of peaceful silence then-

“ _Kisumi._ ”

Makoto winced at the venom.

“You can't say anything to him Haru! You'll just embarrass him!”

“Good.”

“You'll embarrass _me._ ”

“...Mmmph.”

Makoto kissed the crown of his head and rocked him back and forth.

“I always knew he was trying to steal you from me,” Haruka muttered bitterly.

“Haru! Be fair! We were kids! Besides... I wasn't yours to steal... No matter how much I wanted to be.”

Haruka's shoulders slumped and he buried his head into Makoto's chest.

“....Sorry.”

“No, no! That's not what I meant...”

Makoto reared back so he could kiss him probably. Haruka leaned into it with fervor and they ended up against the counter, enjoying each other slowly.

When they eventually broke apart, Haruka pressed his forehead to Makoto's and sighed softly.

“You knew you loved me even back then?” He asked in a whisper.

Makoto smiled.

“I've always loved you, Haru... It just took me a little while to work out the specifics.”

Haruka laughed quietly, not a snort or a hidden smirk, but a real laugh, saved and stored up for special occasions.

Makoto cherished it with glee.

Haruka settled onto the flats of his feet and sighed again, rolling back his shoulders to loosen them. 

“The water's probably cold again,” A frown marred his features, “I have to say sorry to Nagisa and Rei.”

Makoto rubbed his hands along his shoulder-blades. 

“They'll be fine. I think they were just surprised. They've never seen you so jealous before.”

Haruka's frown got deeper.

“I wasn't jealous. Upset. At me. Not jealous.”

Makoto raised an eyebrow.

“Not even a little bit?”

“Don't tease,” Haruka smacked his chest, “That's what got us into this mess in the first place.”

“Oh, really?” 

“Yes.”

“Really?”

“ _Yes._ ”

“Well then,” Makoto flipped the switch to boil the water again, “Let's see how much more trouble I can get us into...”

He kissed him again, licking his mouth open, and endeavored to find out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> five minutes later Nagisa walked in on them and had never been so relieved to catch his friends making out.
> 
> Based on the headcanon that Makoto and Kisumi skirted around the idea of dating in middle school, shared by a friend of mine.


End file.
